Independence
by Sakizm
Summary: AU. It's 1780, America is at war with the British Empire. Katara and her brother must struggle to find their way to freedom in the midst of the Revolutionary War. ON HIATUS.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: **_I've actually had this story in my mind for awhile now, but never actually wrote it down yet. I was inspired by the film, _The Patriot_ and I got this idea to have the characters of Avatar in a AU during the American Revolutionary War. Having the British Empire (Fire Nation) fight against the American Colonies (Air and Water Nations) and the French allies (Earth Kingdom). There is no bending in this AU but it will have some scenes or elements from both _Avatar_ and _The Patriot_. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or The Patriot, they belong to thier respective owners.

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><p><em><strong>Independence<strong>_

-Prologue-

"_We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it_." –Che Cuavara

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><p><em>South Carolina, November 1775<em>

_Boom! Boom!_

Katara woke up to guns blasting outside her home. From the warmth of her blankets, she could see the fire blast's light flicker across the room like lighting in a thunderstorm coming from the window at the foot of her bed. Katara slowly rose from her bed, gasping slightly at the coldness of the wooden floor as her bare feet touched it. She crept her way around her bed to the window, peeling back the white laced curtain back with her hand and gasped at the sight before her.

It was a battle between American and British soldiers right out on her family's plantation. She heard the booming echoes of the canons as they fired and watched in horror as some soldiers fell to their deaths. Katara wanted to turn away from the horrifying sight, but found herself unable to as she watched more soldiers die.

"Katara." The young girl heard a soothing voice from behind her. Katara spun around to see her mother standing at the doorway, holding a lit candle in her hand. The candle softly illuminated the dark bedroom and Katara could finally see the slumbering form of her brother in the opposite corner from her bed. She briefly wondered how he could sleep through all this gun blast.

Her mother, Kya, strode across the bedroom to stand behind Katara, peering out the window at the battle before looking down at her ten-year old daughter who was watching the fight.

"Can't sleep, Katara?" Kya asked as her daughter shook her head.

Kya gently took Katara's small hand and led her away from the window, back to her bed. She set the candle down on the small table next to the bed before helping Katara into her bed. Tucking in her blue eyed daughter under the covers, she turned to see her son still sleeping and let out a small chuckle.

"Seems like all the gun blasts did not wake your brother up." She told Katara with a smile gracing her beautiful tan face.

Katara giggled, "Mother, he'd sleep right through an earthquake!"

"You are very right about that, darling." Kya agreed as she picked up the candle. Standing up, she glanced down at her daughter's worried face.

"We will be okay, Katara," Kya assured her. "They won't get us."

Katara seemed to relax a little at this. "Alright, Mother." She whispered, glancing back at the window from her bed.

Kya smiled before taking her leave, but as she reached the door, she heard her young daughter asking a seemingly impossible question.

"When will this war be over, Mother?" Katara asked her mother.

Kya hesitated for a moment, not knowing the answer herself, but she did not want to raise false hope for her daughter.

"I don't know, Katara." She replied, looking back out the window from where she stood at the doorway. "But hopefully soon."

With that, Kya exited the room as Katara watched the candle's warm light fade from her shared bedroom as the darkness claimed everything again. Katara could still see the occasional flicker of light coming from the window, before drifting off to sleep, reassured by her mother's words of this war.

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><p>The next morning, the family of four along with the help of some servants, they tended the injured soldiers from last night's battle that Katara and her mother saw.<p>

At first, her brother, Sokka, had whined and complained about helping the 'Redcoats' until their father, Hakoda, had lightly threatened him about not taking him hunting with him tomorrow morning unless he helps out. At this, Sokka had immediately shut his mouth and went to wet some rags for the soldiers. For the rest of the morning, the family hadn't heard him complain about helping the enemies.

Tending the wounded soldiers had been Kya's idea. She told her husband that they should help them out by letting them rest on their spacious porch as she gave them water and bandaged their wounds.

Carrying a bowl of clean water and some rags, Katara knelt down onto her knees next to a Redcoat soldier with deep gashes across his left forearm. Katara dipped the rag in water before cleaning away the dried blood on his arm and bandaged the soldier's wound. She then gave the soldier a tin cup of water, which he took gratefully and gulped the entire cup down until there was not a drop left. The British soldier handed the cup back to the brown haired girl, thanking her for helping him.

Katara nodded at him politely as she gathered the cup, the dirty rags, and the water bowl and stood up. Heading down the porch steps, Katara was about to walk toward the water basin on the side of the house when she spotted a group of British soldiers making their way on horses, entering the gates of their yard.

Katara glanced back at the porch to see both her parents standing up from their spots; even Sokka stopped wetting the rags as the family watched the head soldier mount off his brown horse. He was a young man, probably in his thirties and was shorter than most men, sporting the popular white wig in a low pony tail. He wore his red uniform, like the rest of his men, yet this captain seemed kind as he addressed the family with a smile.

"Thank you for helping our wound men out," said the man. "The British Army thanks you."

Hakoda glanced at his wife beside him before acknowledging the smiling captain, "It was not a problem, sir."

The man's eyes brightened at this and replied, "Excellent! We will be taking them off your hands now-"

The man was interrupted by another group of British soldiers galloping their way through the front gates. The leader seemed to be of high rank for the captain gave a slight bow to the grey haired man atop the black horse.

"General Yon Rha," The captain addressed the older man. "What do we owe you this honor?"

"Captain Li," Yon Rha absently greeted the captain as he looked at the injured men on the porch. "Care to inform me the details?"

"Uh, w-well there was a battle last night and this family here t-tended to the wounded," Captain Li stuttered nervously as he glanced between the General and the disabled soldiers. "We were just picking up our men and t-taking them to the infirmary back at the camp."

Yon Rha studied the soldiers lying down on the porch with Hakoda and Kya watching him warily before turning his attention back at the captain.

"Take our men and kill the Patriots," Yon Rha ordered Li. "But leave the family alone."

Li's eyes widened in surprise at the general's command. "Y-yes sir."

He backed away from Yon Rha to give his men the order as he watched them clamor up the porch steps, carrying shotguns in their hands. Hakoda led his wife and children a few paces away from the porch and watched helplessly as the Redcoats took aim and fired at the wounded Patriots.

Katara covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut as the soldier's screams filled the air. It seemed like death was everywhere as she could faintly smell blood. Her eyes snapped open when she distantly heard her mother yell. Katara saw her mother approach the heartless general.

"Stop this!" Kya screamed at Yon Rha, who watched the scene before him with a satisfied smirk. "You did not need to kill them like this!"

Yon Rha looked down at Kya's furious face before replying, "It is necessary to rid ourselves the trouble by killing the Patriots when they are at their mercy." He turned to whisper to a soldier next to him. "Burn down the house."

Kya's eyes widened at his order. _No…_

"No…NO!" She screamed at the soldier following orders, at the British cavalry group, especially at General Yon Rha. Kya ignored her husband's pleas of not to anger the man. "You monster! You have-"

She stopped when she saw Yon Rha simply turn his horse around, his back facing her. He ordered his men that they will be leaving now. Kya could not believe this, he was ignoring her! Angrily, she picked up a small rock and threw it at Yon Rha. The general felt a sharp sting at the back of his head. Furious, Yon Rha whipped his head around to see Kya standing there with a satisfied smirk across her tanned face, her blue eyes narrowed at him.

"How dare you…!" Yon Rha snarled as he pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the woman. "I've had enough of you; it's time for you to meet your demise."

Seeing the gun pointed at his beloved wife, Hakoda's eyes widened in terror as he ran forward, leaving his two children alone. Yon Rha pulled the trigger and fired at Kya who closed her blue eyes as if bracing herself against the bullet.

Hakoda stopped in his tracks as he watched Kya fall down, back facing the dirt. Time seemed to freeze for him, too shocked and numb after seeing his beautiful wife lying on the ground, dead.

Katara distantly felt her brother hug her tightly as they watched their mother fall. Tears pooled her blue eyes, staring disbelieving at her mother. Her mother; who she looked up to, who laughed with her as they did the laundry, who tucked her back into bed whenever she could not sleep, who cooked her favorite of sea prunes, and who loved her family unconditionally was now dead.

Tears flowed freely down her tanned cheeks as she struggled to free herself from Sokka. Once she escaped, Katara ran past her seemingly frozen father, toward her mother. She distantly heard her brother call her name, but Katara ignored him. All she wanted was to be next to her mother.

"Mother!" Katara cried, kneeling down in the dirt by Kya's side. She gasped at the sight of her mother; blood was seeping through her once clean blue dress. The wound was a small gaping hole in her chest, above her left breast where her heart was. With trembling hands, Katara gently picked up her mother's once warm, tan hand was now cold and pale.

Katara bit back a sob. She wouldn't cry in front of her mother's killer, giving him the satisfaction that he had achieved in giving this family pain.

_Her mother's killer…_

Katara almost forgot about him. She gazed up to see him sitting on his horse, his gun still pointed at where Kya had once stood. She made eye contact with General Yon Rha, his golden brown eyes observing her own blue ones. His cruel eyes would forever haunt Katara. Yon Rha finally tucked the gun away in his red coat.

"Let that be a lesson to those who fight against the British Army." He told Katara before trotting away on his black horse with British soldiers trailing behind.

Katara watched them leave with tear-streaked eyes. She could've sworn she saw Captain Li look at her in sympathy. Katara sharply turned her head away from him. She did not want to deal with a Redcoat right now, she wanted her mother back.

When the last of the soldiers disappeared beyond the gates, Katara finally let her grief overtake her small body as she felt her brother wrap his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Both siblings clung to one another as they cried for their dead mother.

Hakoda had tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at his children, their bodies racking with sobs. He willed himself to walk over and kneel down behind them, putting his hands on their shoulders. The siblings slowly quieted their sobs to look up at their crestfallen father.

Their father was quiet, contemplating on what to do now. The three of them could hear the crackle of flames behind them as it consumed their home. Hakoda let out a weary sigh, "I'm taking you two to Gran Gran in Charleston tomorrow." He told his children. "Then I'm going to sign up in the army."

Both Katara and Sokka's eyes widened at this.

"No!" exclaimed Sokka. "Why can't we stay here with you?"

"Gran Gran needs your help now," He told his son. "And the army could use my help fighting against the Redcoats."

Both siblings felt dismayed at their father's declaration. They looked at the burning house then down at their lifeless mother. They just lost their beloved mother and now their father is going to war. The war seemed never ending with death.

Hakoda hugged his two children tightly, "But I promise you two that I will come back once this war is over." He vowed.

"_I promise I will return_."


	2. Chapter One

_**A/N: **_Sorry for the delay! I went on a trip to Michigan, then went on some camping trips with my family and enjoying the summer break. :) Just a warning, updates may be slow (or fast, depending) but I will finish this story and that goes the same for my other story, Avatar: Peter Pan. I'm STILL looking for those dang notes I had for the story!

Thank you for those who reviewed and were patient :) Now, onward with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the Patriot, they belong to their respective owners.

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><p><em><strong>Independence<strong>_

Chapter One

"_The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion_." –Albert Camus

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><p><em>Five years later: Charleston, March 1780<em>

With the last traces of snow melting away, songbirds return to sing from the budding trees and the streets of Charleston, a major port city in South Carolina, is teeming with life again after a cold winter.

Spring has arrived.

Katara breathed in the cool, fresh spring air as she pulled open the window of her grandmother's store, to air out the building for spring cleaning. She turned to see Gran Gran swiping the countertops clean near the register before seeing the young boy to the right, dusting the shelves. Some areas had so much dust that caused him to sneeze loudly when swept with the feather duster.

Katara remembers meeting the boy; it had been two years ago…

_Sokka and Katara were sent out on a shopping errand by their grandmother to gather some items they needed. After they got everything from the list they were given, the two siblings headed on their way back to the store. They bumped into a young boy as they rounded a street corner, knocking him over onto the ground. Katara quickly apologizes to him and helps the poor boy up. _

_"It's alright," The boy smiles at the two siblings, dusting himself off. "It was an accident. No harm done."_

_The young boy, both siblings noticed, wore clothes that were stained and tattered; his short black hair was messy and unkempt. It looked like he had been wandering around for a while. His large grey eyes, Katara noticed, were full of energy and life. _

But, does he have someplace to stay? _Katara thought to herself as she distinctly felt Sokka tug her dress sleeve, telling her that they have to get back to the store. Not one to turn her back on people who needed her, Katara takes the boy's hand and, ignoring her brother's protests, leads him back to Gran Gran's store._

_After being scrubbed clean of dirt and given a change of clothes, the young boy sat in a cushioned chair in the parlor of the adjacent house next to the store. Katara brought him a glass of water and asks him his name._

_"I'm Aang." The ten-year old boy answers before drinking his water._

_Aang was an orphan who lived with his guardian, Gyasto, before the British came to their farm they shared with other orphaned boys. Gyasto had told Aang to run when the soldiers took over the farm. Aang ran, never looking back, never knowing if Gyasto or the other boys survived. He wandered from town to town until he reached Charleston a week and a half later. _

_Gran Gran welcomed Aang to stay with them since he had nowhere to go. At first Aang was hesitant, but the elderly woman insisted that she could use the extra hands for help around the store and finally, Aang agreed. _

_ACHOO! _

Aang sneezed loudly into the crook of his arm, snapping Katara out of her reverie.

_Poor boy…I should go help him. _Katara thought as she watched Aang dusting a shelf a bit too high for him. She walked over to the shelves and held out the broom to Aang.

"Here, switch with me." Katara told the twelve-year old boy.

Aang gratefully traded the older girl the feather duster for the broom. "Thanks, Katara." He said, beaming brightly.

"I figured you needed a break from all that sneezing." The fifteen-year old girl grinned, teasing the young boy.

Aang rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Heh, yes I did." He replied back, chuckling sheepishly.

Abruptly the front door opens, revealing a distressed Sokka, breathing heavily as if he had ran across the city. Well, the butcher shop where he worked at is nearly across the city, just down the street, past the woodshop on the corner. It was still quite a walk to get there from the store. To catch his breath for a moment, Sokka leaned against the counter. Katara asks him what happened to cause him to run over here.

"The British invaded Charleston," Sokka told his sister and Aang. "They've taken over the city."

"_What?" _

Sokka, Katara, Aang and Gran Gran looked at one another in worry. They knew the war had spread across the Colonies, but never imagined that Charleston would fall to the British army so soon.

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><p><em>Two months later: Charleston, May 1780<em>

_Sigh._

Afternoons were horrible, or so Katara thought because of the slow customer service they would have around the time. It was irking, especially now that the British had put up more rules for the people of Charleston and posted nightly curfews just two weeks ago.

Katara let out another bored sigh as she rested her elbows on the cool countertop, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Aang came and sat in a wooden chair across from Katara, bored as well. Gran Gran had left them in charge while she did the inventory in the back room storage.

_Ding!_ The bell jingled as the front door was opened.

A customer! Both Katara and Aang quickly stood up, happy to finally have a customer around this time of the day or more specifically, four in the afternoon.

It was only Sokka.

Katara groaned in disappointment and Aang slumped back down in his seat. Wait…Sokka wasn't supposed to be back here from work until suppertime. If he was here this early, then something was wrong and she could see worry strewn across his tanned face. She heard Aang ask what was wrong.

"I, uh…well," Sokka began, nervously darting his eyes at them then back at the door. Sure he did idiotic and stupid things every now and then, but this was serious. Katara knew what was wrong; her brother did something horrible…but what?

"Wait, Sokka," Katara narrowed her eyes at her older brother, realizing why he was acting as if he were hiding something but was unable to explain why. "What did you do!" She half yelled at him.

"I kind of messed with the Redcoats' supply lines…" Sokka half whispered guilty just as the door opened to let in a small group of British soldiers, no more than five, all crowding inside the store.

_WHAT? _Katara mentally screamed, furious at her brother's unthinkable actions that could very well get him and then, them, into heaps of trouble with the British. Katara very much wanted to throttle Sokka right now; instead she clenched her fists in anger at her sides. She'll deal with her brother later, for now they have to deal with these soldiers.

Gran Gran chose this moment to exit out of the storage room to find five Redcoats and her grandchildren in some sort of stare down contest.

"Hello," Gran Gran greeted the soldiers. "What can we do for you?"

Katara noticed that out of all the soldiers whom were middle aged, the leader in the front was young, probably in his early twenties, she guessed. He bore a large, flame-shaped scar over his left eye causing him to seem more intimidating than the other soldiers. Like many other British, he has the usual pale skin and black hair tied back in the fashionable low ponytail.

"Hand over the boy." The young soldier demanded, gesturing for Sokka.

"My grandson?" piqued the elderly woman. "He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Your grandson had been tampering with our supply lines for the past several weeks." The scarred boy explained. "Now, hand him over."

"Sokka hasn't done anything to offend you fine soldiers." Gran Gran defended, not giving her grandson up to the Redcoats.

But the scarred soldier had enough. He grabbed Gran Gran toward him and pulled out a pistol, pointing it at her head. Maybe this will work into making Sokka come without a struggle.

"NO!" All three children shouted in fear. The captor narrowed his eyes at them as if asking, what now?

After a moment of silence, Sokka took a step forward, determination set across his face. "I'll go with you on one condition," He told the young leader. "I'll go if you leave everyone alone."

The captor nodded in agreement and had one of his men bind Sokka's wrists together before letting Gran Gran free. Katara and Aang made sure the elderly woman was alright, Gran Gran shooed their concerns away, insisting that she was just fine.

Katara glanced at the retreating soldiers who led Sokka out the door. She then locked eyes with the scarred soldier's, her blue eyes staring at those golden hues of his. It seemed like an eternity had passed when one of the men spoke up,

"Prince Zuko?" He asked. "Are you ready, sir?"

Golden eyes broke contact with her own blue as he nodded 'yes' before taking one final glance around the store and disappeared through the door.

_No, not again…_thought Katara as she watched the door close behind the young man, Zuko. _They took my mother, caused my father to leave for the war, threatened my grandmother and now…they're taking my brother away._

She noticed the sun was setting, it would be dark soon.

Perfect.

"Aang, get ready," Katara informed they young boy as she set to find two black cloaks from the chest of clothes. "We're rescuing my brother."


End file.
